Earthen - 口品小館 (Hacienda Heights, CA)

What's the great part about being in Southern California? Chinese food! And good Chinese food, at that. Another favorite of my SoCal inhabitants is Earthen, a Chinese restaurant known for their House Chicken [山東燒雞]. Since it was a large group of people and we had dinner "family style," I was fortunate enough to try quite a few of their dishes. We had quite a few dishes between us, so I won't bother with each one...

The House Chicken (10.95) wasn't at all what I had expected, as it was soaked in a special soy sauce (and maybe vinegar, etc.), appeared to be roasted, and topped with a generous portion of cilantro, garlic, and shallots. The portion was generous, and the chicken was tender and flavorful with the sauce and condiments - delicious enough for me to have seconds! Hidden beneath the chicken are marinated cucumbers, and I couldn't stop picking at them 'cause they were so tasty! We also had the Pork (I think) Fried Rice, which wasn't too salty or oily, and good with the other dishes. The Seafood Noodle Soup was alright, and not my favorite of the night, but fortunately we did get Pan-Fried Dumplings [鍋貼] and Scallion/Green Onion Pancakes [蔥油餅], which are classic favorites! The Pan-Fried Dumplings weren't bad - filling that wasn't overly oily or salty - and fried just right. The Scallion Pancakes here were probably the best ones I had this time on my fooding trip in L.A., as it was just the right amount of dough and crisp. The service was decent, and I enjoy not having to pay for extra condiments and tea, which to me, is just ridiculous!

I am Chipotle Monster, Hammy Tammy, Burger Fiend, a lean mean eating machine who loves food, learning, creating, and trying new things. I have a B.S. in Nutritional Science from The University of California Berkeley, a consequence of love for food and biology. I've been moving to a different country every few years for the last decade or so, and I've had the privilege of not only sampling, but actually discovering the uniqueness of some of the cities I've lived in. My no-fluff "scathing reviews" (I prefer honest) of some of the worst and best fooding destinations is really an open diary of me orienting myself in cities around the world.

If you are wondering what Edesian Feast means, the name comes from the Roman goddess of food. With her name associated with luxury and feasting, Edesia is the divine spirit believed to be the one who blesses banquets. As food was and is of utmost importance in Roman culture, it is also very much so in Taiwanese culture. If you've ever met anyone from Taiwan, you know that they're always thinking about what to eat for their next meal...

I'm a coffeefish with a love for steak, sashimi, tacos, key lime pie, and sticky rice cake, but I'll try almost anything once. This is a space to drool and feast your eyes upon delicious pictures and share the best fooding experiences around the world, so don't hesitate to drop me a recommendation and follow my adventures!